Sunday, 6 March 2016

KAYE (NUPE POEM): TÍNYÌ NYIZAGI (A LADY'S HAIR)

By

Isyaku Bala Ibrahim




Nimi èsà nyizagi ò
A gan mi gan na wunkpa na sà gán
Kukuru na à za èdin na ma sukun
Wunci gá è kan yaya shin nbo ò
Kukuru na à za mukote na sukun
Wunci gá è la ebá tsò fula zhin èmì ò

Na à tín gbárá na
Wunga è la bagi zheyé ò
Siriri ce kan ù dan kata bo
Shuku ce bé boyé harilo

Nna-èmì-yi ma woro wunda sagwa fi ò
Sànkpétízhi za gá wun è lo be nyi ò
Émí kutsun tsa wun è la za nyá wun nyi ò
Wunci à langba-nyizagizhi kpátá sànkpe zuma ò

Ke bé bé ò
Etí à zhi ci à fúnyì aniga na ò
A ce jin sangana be yilandzucizhi na ò
Etí à zhi ci à zhe nwasa na ò
Sashizhi gan émí-kutsun tsa a tan ò
Sashizhi gan a po nyá azhi po
Sashizhi yesan nasara gá ke à gbugbu danna ò

Wo na è loyé be sànkpétízhi za na
Shitukpa mi
Wo na è pé be ège byabya na
Wó egan mi
Wo na kpikpa nasara tsa è fò wo sharya ò na
Ya mi yekpa we babo nana ò
A gá gangan
Wo gan zaman la be ò
Ma ke zaman gá wo nyi à cin ò na

Bagizhi ma ye dzatin
Nazhi à jin ye egun na è jin
Nazhi din ye tukpa na è din
Nyatsugizhi asoli gá takpa bo
Nazhi be tínyì swaswanyi na
Nazhi ma de tínyì saranyi à na
E la nyá tín siriri be èdin bologinyi
Hari a nyagban yizhi wondan harilo.

Translation

A LADY’S HAIR
An attribute of her beauty
I was told the longer the hair the more beautiful she looks
But what about shorter hair that coconut oil was used on
That prevents her darling from going out
What about the shorter hair that shea-butter oil was used on
That brings her husband home with slanted cap on his forehead

The ridged style hair
That makes man steal a look again and again
The tiny plated style that sticks a man to the room
While shuku style fuels love to eternity

Our lady has brought in a new one
Who trades on wigs
And used pig cream on it
And have rallied all the idled ladies behind her

What is happening
Suddenly they have lost their beauties
How come they are competing with the mad 
Their heads are now desert 
Some blamed it on pig cream
Some on shampoo and dryers
While other on their foolish quest to be another

You that take pride wearing wigs
Listen to me
You that feel pompous using pig-cream
Hear me out
You that want to look like the whites
Give me your attention
When one talks
You claimed it’s a new world
But will this new world say i do

Men have discovered your plot
And those that will cheat on you have continued
Those that will advice you have not relent
Even if you will not hid to it
Natural-hair styled ladies are in vogue
I mean the hairy ones
While those with limited hair
that used the tiny-hair styles with coconut oil
Have since stolen our hearts to eternity


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